Stoves and like apparatus using liquefied gas



Sept. 23, 1958 G. F. CORLET 2,853,126

sTovEs AND LIKE APPARATUS USING LIQUEFIED GAS Filed July 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 16 oooooo 0.00000 opugnep DQoDon Gouogo 005609 INVENTOR BY will ATTORNEYS Sept. 23, 1958 G, F. coRLET sTovEs AND LIKE APPARATUS USING LIQUEFIED GAs Filed July 13, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f ite rates arent OiCe 2,853,126 Patented Sept. 23, 1958 'a il.

srovns AND Lian APPARATUS USING rroonrmn GAS Gabriel E 'elicien `Corlet, Pierre-Benite, France, vassignor to Societe Anonyme Dessins Etudes Outillage Mecanique, D. E. 0. NL, Lyon, France, a French joint stock company My invention relates to stoves and other apparatus using a combustible gas liquefied under pressure in an easily interchangeable container.

lt has been proposed to provide such containers with a lid or plug adapted to be perforated when the container 1s to be connected with the stove or the like. With such an arrangement means should be provided to prevent the gas from escaping in the outer atmosphere. The container may for instance have a rubber plug which is perforated by means of a ho-llow needle, or the container may be formed with an internally threaded discharge head adapted to receive the correspondingly threaded gas intake end of `the stove, the said head being normally closed by a membrane which is cut or perforated by a hollow punch Solid with the said end. These known arrangements complicate the container and substantially mcrease the cost thereof. It becomes therefore practically impossible to consider the container as a non-rellable can adapted to be rejected after use.

A first object of my invention is to `provide a stove or like apparatus using a combustible gas under liqueed form, wherein the gas container will comprise no screwthreaded discharge head, no plug of plastic or like material and will be in the form of a mere inexpensive can.

A further `object of my invention is a stove or like rgas apparatus comprising a slidable gas intake member provided with an end ring of flexible material adapted to be tightly applied against the wall of the gas container, and an axial perforating needle, movable with respect to the said ring and adapted to be driven through the said wall to form therein an orifice connecting the container with the inner space of the said gas intake member, while means are provided to maintain the said member in gas-tight engagement with the said wall already before the said needle has perforated the latter.

The perforating needle is preferably of non-circular cross-section in the per se known manner, and means are provided to lower this needle and to rotate it about its own axis when the gas intake head has been applied against the container wall, whereby the said needle will make therein a circular hole corresponding to the circumference circumscribed about the cross-section of the needle.

ln order to improve tightness between the end ring of flexible material and the container wall, there is advantageously fo-rmed in the said wall a cup-shaped depression adapted to receive the said ring, which is correspondingly shaped in axial section, whereby inflation of the ring under the action of the gas under pressure will cause a more intimate contact between the outer periphery of the ring and the inner periphery of the depression. The face or side of the container on which the `said depression is formed is preferably bulged to obtain an increased mechanical resistance against the axial pressure exerted on the said face or side by the ring of flexible material.

In a preferred embodiment of my invention the'apparatus comprises a support in which the liquefied-gas container may be secured by appropriate means, which support is provided with an internally threaded sleeve adapted to receive the end portion of a gas intake head, the said end portion slidably enclosing a spring pressed tubular gas intake member the outertend of which carries the ring of flexible material, while the perforating needle, disposed co-axially to the said member, is solid with'the aforesaid end portion whereby it rotates on itself and moves downwardly Whenthe said end portion is screwed into the sleeve of the said support. When the gas intake "head is screwed into thesleeve of the support, the end ring of flexible material is first pressed into tight engagement with the container wall under the action of the urging spring, then the perforating needle comes Vinto contact with the said wall and dr.lls therein alhole through which gas mayiflow'frorn the container into the gas intake head.

In the annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general vertical section of aportable stove according to my invention.

`Fig. 2 is the corresponding plan View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental enlarged sectional view showing the'details of an elastic clip adapted to retain the container in the support.

lsupport of the gas container.

The apparatus illustrated comprises a support 1 in the form of an inverted -cup having a frusto-conical bottom. The central portion or smaller base of the said bottom carries an internally screw-threaded sleeve 2 which is for instance welded in a hole provided therein. This support 1 is adapted to receive a container 3 filled with liquefied gas under pressure, for instance butane gas, the said container being in the form of a cylindrical can of reduced height Awith the upper -end bulging upwardly. In the Vcentral portion of this upper'end there is provided a spherical depression 3a. This container 3 is made of relatively thin sheet metal, its lower end being seamed and/or soldered. It comprises no particular gas discharge member such as a plastic plug, a threaded `head with .a ball valve or a membrane, etc. It is engaged upwardly .into'the `support 1 and it is secured thereon by pivoted spring clips 4. Each clip 4 is formed of a band of spring metal, as for instance steel, o-ne lend of which is rolled on a small pin 5 (Figs. 3 and 5) fixed to the support 1, while its other end is bent in the form of a hook adapted to engage 'elastically the lower edge 3b of the container 3. This band is besides appropriately shaped to follow the cont-our of the side of the container 3. The support l is slotted in front of'each clip 4 in order that the latter may freely come into contact with the side of the container 3.

The apparatus illustrated further comprises a gas intake head 6 provided with an end or tail portion 6a adapted to be screwed into the sleeve 2. This body 6 carries a needle valve 7 actuated by an outer knob 8 to close a passage between the inner blind bore of the end portion or tail 6a and an upper bore co-axial to the said tail 6a and adapted to receive the conventional gas outlet nozzle 9 of the gas burner of the stove, tbe said nozzle carrying a sleeve 10 provided with air inlet holes lila and topped by a cup 11 with a perforated cover 12.

The end portion or tail 6a forms a cylinder for a tubular piston-like member 13 provided with a sealing ring 14. This member 13 is in one with a downwardly extending tubular rod 13a which terminates in an inverted cup 13b in which there is mounted a ring 15 made of a flexible material such as natural or synthetic rubber or like substance. As shown in Fig. 8 this ring 15 projects substantially below the edge of the said cup 13b and its lower annular face is frusto-conical, its dimensions being such that it may enter the above described depression 3a.

1n the axial bore of the tubular rod 13a there is slidably disposed a flat needle 16 having a sharp lower point 16a and a transverse T-shaped upper head 16]; which is engaged with a substantial clearance into a corresponding depression 6c (Figs. l, 4, 6 and 7) provided in the upper end of the axial blind bore of the end portion or tail 6a. The bottom of this depression 6c is not flat, but conical, and the passage 6d which connects the said blind bore with the chamber of the needle-valve 7 opens in the center of this conical bottom. A coil spring 17 is interposed between the head 16b and the tubular member 13 to maintain the said head 16b in the depression 6c and to urge member 13 against a transverse pin 18 laterally carried by the end portion 6a in the lower part thereof. At this position (Figs. 4 and 8) of the parts, which corresponds to lowermost position of the member 13 and consequently of the ring 15 of flexible material, the point 16a of the perforating needle 16 is disposed slightly above the lower end of the said ring 15, i. e. inside with respect to the latter.

The stove further comprises an open-ended cylindrical outer casing the lower end of which is slidably engaged on the support 1 after the container 3 has been disposed therein. As shown in Fig. 3 this casing 19 has a beaded lower edge 19a which protrudes inwardly, the said beaded edge being adapted to fit into corresponding depressions 4a formed on the clips 4. The casing 19 has a wide lateral opening 19b (Fig. l) which permits access to the actuating knob 8. The upper end of the said casing '19 is closed by a cup-shaped cover 20 having an outwardly folded upper edge which rests on the upper edge of the casing. The bottom of this cover 20 has a central aperture and it is solid with a cylindrical downward extension 20a the lower edge of which is flanged as indicated at 20h. Three vertical rods 21 are passed through appropriate holes provided in the flanged edge 20b and in the remaining annular portion of the bottom of the cup-shaped cover 20, the upper part of each one of these rods 21 being first bent at 90, then at 180 in order to determine two horizontal portions 21a and 2lb disposed one above the other. The lower portion 21a comprises a depression 21C adapted to rest on the edge of the cup-shaped cover 20 as indicated on the left-hand side of Fig. 1, whereby the rod under consideration is retained at such a position that the upper horizontal portion 2lb thereof may form a support for the dishes, saucepans and like kitchen articles to be disposed on the stove. When the stove is to be folded, each rod 21 is raised and rotated through an appropriate angle, whereby its upper horizontal portions 21a and 2lb may thereafter be lowered into the cup-shaped cover 20. In Figs. 1 and 2 one rod 21 is illustrated at the operative position while the two other rods are shown at the folded position. The lower ends of the rods 2l are flattened as indicated at 21d to prevent their becoming disengaged from the flanged edge 20b.

The stove also comprises a cover 22 (Figs. 1 and 3) which may be disposed on any one of the ends of the casing 19.

The operation is as follows:

The user has at his disposal a number of containers 3 filled with liquefied gas and tightly closed. These coritainers are preferably in the form of small cans or cartridges. When it is desired to use the stove, the outer casing 19 is first removed and the support 1 is unscrewed from the end portion or tail 6a. A container 3 is then disposed in the support and it is secured thereto by the spring clips 4. There is thus obtained the assembly illustrated in Fig. 4.

The end portion or tail 6a is then screwed down into the upper sleeve 2 of the support 1. The end cup 13b is thus lowered towards the central depression 3a of the container 3 and the ring 15 of flexible material is thereby engaged into the said depression, as indicated in Fig. 8. As soon as the ring 15 becomes pressed against the wall of the depression 3a, it is frictionally retained thereby and prevented from rotating. As the screwing down of the tail 6a is continued, the spring 17 is compressed and the lower end of the flexible ring 15 fits tightly into the depression 3a, as indicated in Fig. 9. But at the same time the perforating needle 16 rotates together with the gas intake head 6 owing to its own head 16b being retained in engagement with the depression 6c under the action of the spring 17, the said needle also moving downwardly with respect to the sleeve 2 into which the end portion 6a is being screwed, and the point 16a of the needle comes into contact with the central part or bottom of the depression 3a and drills a hole in the wall of the latter, as clearly shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the diameter of this hole corresponding to the largest transverse dimension of the needle. The gas under pressure, may thus flow freely through the axial bore of the tubular rod 13a into the upper part of the bore of the end portion or tail 6a. It thus reaches the gas passage 6d, the lower end of which is free owing to the conical shape of the bottom of the depression 6c. The needle valve 7 being closed, the gas cannot flow towards the burner 9, 10, 11. On the other side the gas cannot leak outwardly since the sealing ring 14 of the gas-intake member 13 is perfectly tight and since the flexible ring 15 is tightly applied against the periphery of the depression 3a of the gas container.

It should be remarked that the gas pressure in the ring 15 of flexible material tends to dilate the latter, as shown in Fig. 10, whereby the said ring is more strongly ap plied against the wall of the depression 3a, which enhances the tightness.

The outer casing 19 is then engaged on the support 1 and the cover 22 is disposed on the lower end of the said casing. The rods 21 are thereafter brought to their raised or operative position.

When the stove is to be folded the rods 21 are returned to their lowered position within the cup-shaped cover 20. The cover 22 is removed from the lower end of the outer casing 19 and disposed onto the upper end thereof.

It will be appreciated that in the stove described the gas container or cartridge 3 comprises no particular gas discharge member and is therefore an inexpensive can which may be rejected after use. Also ring 15 is pressed in tight engagement with the perforatable wall 3a before the latter is punctured, whereby any gas leakage is avoided during the screwing down operation. Iclaim:

l. In a portable stove or like apparatus using a combustible gas under liquefied form, a sealed gas container having a perforatable wall; a support formed witli'an open-ended screw-threaded sleeve, said support being adapted to receive said container with said perforatable wall in front of one end of said sleeve; means to retain said container within said support; a gas-intake head formed with a tubular screw-threaded tail portion adapted to be screwed into said sleeve; a tubular gas-intake member slidably and rotatably movable in said tubular tail portion in gas-tight engagement therewith; spring means urging said tubular gas-intake member outwardly with lrespect to said tubular tail portion; a ring of a flexible sealing material at the outer end of said tubular gas-intake member to be pressed by said spring means against said perforatable wall when said ltubular tail portion is screwed into said sleeve; and a perforating needle carried by said gas-intake head coaxially to said tubular gas-intake member to perforate said perforatable wall, said perforating needle being so disposed within said gas-intake head that it does not engage said perforatable wall before said ring has been tightly applied against same.

2. In a portable stove or like apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said perforatable wall being formed with a depression adapted to receive said ring.

3. In a portable stove or like apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said perforatable wall being formed with a depression adapted to receive said ring and the outer end of said ring being substantially frusto-conical to t into said depression.

4. In a portable stove or like apparatus as claimed in claim l, said container being in the form of a cylindrical can having a bulged upper end, the top of said bulged end being adapted to form said perforatable wall.

5. In a portable stove or like apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said tubular tail portion having a blind bore, said perforating needle having a T-shaped head and said spring means being interposed between said T-shaped head and said tubular gas-intake member to maintain said T-shaped head against the bottom of said blind bore.

6. In a portable stove or like apparatus as claimed in claim 1, an abutment carried by said tubular tail portion to limit the outward stroke of said tubular gas-intake member within4 said tubular tail portion under the action of said spring means, the outermost position of said tubular gas-intake member being such that said needle terminates short of the outer end of said ring.

7. In a portable stove or like apparatus a sealed gas container having a perforatable Wall; a gas-intake head adapted to receive gas from said container after perforation of said perforatable wall, said gas-intake head being formed with an outwardly opening bore; a tubular gasintake member slidably and rotatably movable in the bore of said gas-intake head; spring means urging said gasintake member outwardly with respect to said gas-intake head; a ring of a flexible sealing material at the outer end of said tubular gas-intake member; means to force said gas-intake head towards said perforatable wall against the action of said spring means to cause said ring to be pressed against said wall in gas-tight engagement therewith; and a perforating needle carried by said gasintake head coaxially to said gas-intake member to perforate said perforatable wall when said gas-intake head is forced towards said container, said needle being so disposed within said head that it does not engage said perforatable wall before said ring has been tightly applied against same.

8. In a portable stove or like apparatus as claimed in claim 7, means to limit the outward stroke of said tubular gas-intake member under the action of said spring means, the outermost position of said tubular gas-intake member being such that said needle terminates short of the outer end of said ring.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 596,084 Nyberg Dec. 28, 1897 1,711,537 Lewis et al. May 7, 1929 2,450,461 Wallach Oct. 6, 1948 2,465,572 Bramming Mar. 29, 1949 2,538,538' Stempel et al. Jan. 16, 1951 2,671,504 Anderson Mar. 9, 1954 2,683,484 Falligant July 13, 1954 2,744,809 Falligant May 8, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 651,044 Great Britain Mar. 7, 1951 

